Boyal Microscopical Society. 255 



taken. If, therefore, a hostile critic merely refers to my clescrii)tion, 

 he places mc at a disadvantage, for no fair comparison can be made 

 between contemporary anatomical labours unless the drawings are 

 placed side by side. Again, an English minute anatomist, if ho 

 live long, may undoubtedly succeed in convincing his countrymen 

 that he has really demonstrated some new facts; but the predis- 

 position of many writers in England is against English anatomical 

 work, and so strongly in favour of German observations, that the 

 latter are sure not only of finding a jjrominent place in many of our 

 joui-nalg, but of being favourably received and criticized. Observa- 

 tions made at home arc often passed over. 



It would be difficult to find a question of greater interest in its 

 bearing upon the nature of important physiological and pathological 

 changes than the distribution of nerves to capillary vessels. I am 

 indebted to Dr. Klein for drawing the attention of his readers to the 

 fact that these nerve fibres were first described and figured by me. 

 My observations were made nearly ten years ago, and I believe Dr. 

 Hughlings Jackson and Dr. Klein are the only writers who have yet 

 drawn attention to the subject, which is so very closely connected with 

 general jxathology that it is hardly possible to discuss the nature of 

 the nutritive changes in disease without taking into consideration the 

 arrangement and action of the nerves distributed to capillary vessels. 

 I hope that Dr. Klein's researches will render this and kindred in- 

 quiries more popular in this country, and that they will ere long 

 receive that consideration from physiologists and physicians which 

 they unquestionably deserve. 



In conclusion, I may be permitted to remark that a scientific ob- 

 server ought to consider himself fortunate if his researches have been 

 allowed to pass for a few years without hostile criticism, and still 

 more fortunate if, at the conclusion of a decade, observations made 

 by him at its commencement have not been altogether forgotten and 

 ignored ; for few among anatomists have been allowed to work on for 

 several years without having their " errors " very freely exposed and 

 rendered too " gross " by a little. 



Lionel S. Beale. 

 April ^th, 1872. 



